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Basalt is site of Renaissance 'Uprising'

BASALT — About 750 people reenacted a bit of life from Merry Old England, last week. This corner of pre-17th century England met east of Basalt.
This was the XXV Uprising of the Barony of One Thousand Eyes. Translated, people have been attending this type of reenactment for 25 years. Participants recreate the middle ages from 550 A.D. to pre-17th century Europe.
Most of the people who attended this "Uprising" came from Utah, Montana, Southern Idaho and parts of Colorado and Wyoming that are west of the Continental Divide,
If you are a member of The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), this geographic area is known as the Kingdom of Artemisia.
SCA is a worldwide medieval re-creation organization. "Welcome to the current Middle Ages" states the SCA website.
Historical "games" are acted out by SCA members. No one is an observer. Everyone has a part and acts out his or her part to create the goings on of the kingdom.
Heraldry, arts and sciences and combat are not only studied but reenacted. Royalty holds their courts, a part of which is bestowing awards on deserving citizens.
Tournaments are scheduled. People eat at feasts and enjoy the Middles Ages, as "they should have been," which means bathroom facilities are available and people sleep in sleeping beds under tents.
"I like SCA because I like history and researching history," said Barb Parris from Blackfoot. In the Kingdom of Artemisia, Parris is known as "Baroness Ariel of York."
"People can chose to research a person in whatever historical period that interests him or her," Parris said.
"SCA members choose a name and create a specific person," she said. "For example, you can't choose to become an historical figure, like King George III of England, but you can choose to become a member of his court. The person reenacting the part would then act in a manner appropriate with being a member of the court.
"[SCA] is like a huge extended family," Parris said. "People care for each other and appreciate each other. Personal honor is very important."
During the summer, local members of the SCA meet at 7 p.m. each Thursday at Tautphaus Park in Idaho Falls near the tennis courts. In the winter, SCA members meet at 7 p.m. in the Blackfoot Charter Community Learning Center, 2801 Hunters Loop.
The SCA is a 501C3 non-profit educational society.
For a local contact, call Kara Olson at (208) 206-1687 or go to the website www.artemisia.sca.org/
The website www.sca.org contains information about the organization.